Always Perfect, Always You
by Citation-2
Summary: Sequel to "The Perfect Match", sets during the events of "Hiatus". When Gibbs is caught in the explosion and loses his memory, how will Tony react to the fact the man he loves may not remember him and their relationship? GibbsXTony SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! I'm finally posting a new story. I'm sorry for the long hiatus, but the family situation I mentioned while posting "Gunny's Whore" reached its tragic conclusion two weeks later. My Grandfather died after a long illness and we were left physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Now things are better, and so I'm starting to post again. I hope you'll enjoy this story, the long awaited sequel/companion story of "The Perfect Match".**

**Always Perfect, Always you**

**By Gunnery Sergeant**

_Sequel/companion story to "The Perfect Match"_

_Thank you so much to __**Finlaure**__, my terrific beta reader._

**May 2006**

Anthony DiNozzo didn't like to wait, standing by a car, doing nothing. Especially when it was Friday evening, and he had planned to spend it with his lover, eating grilled steak, sanding the boat and then making love well into the night, taking full advantage of the fact they were out of rotation for the weekend.

But all those plans had gone down the drain when, just before 1700, Gibbs had received a call from Director Shepard, telling him his team had to cover for another team. Those team members had all ended up in the hospital due to food poisoning caused by something they had eaten at lunch.

Jethro had protested. They had just come off of a very tiring and stressful week that had seen them trying to catch a multiple murderer before he killed again. He told Shepard to send someone else. Alas, there hadn't been anyone else with the right level of security clearance available for the task, thus Gibbs had to swallow his objections and obey.

So the team had driven to Portsmouth Harbor, where Gibbs had to be the contact for an undercover NCIS agent, Abog Galib, who had infiltrated an Abu Sayyaf terrorist cell.

The plan called for Gibbs to board the _Bakir Kamir_, a Turkish ship, along with a custom inspector for a routine passport check, and then 'arrest' Galib on some technicality, in order to take him to the HQ, get his information and then send him to Gitmo, where he would continue his undercover mission.

Tony had watched Gibbs board the ship about an hour before, and he hoped it won't be much longer before the older man returned with their 'prisoner'.

As he looked toward the _Bakir Kamir_, he let his mind wander and, predictably, his thoughts focused on his boss and lover. And how could they not since the following week it would be thirteen years since the day they first met each other?

Thirteen years since a fateful car trip had shaped Tony's life in a way no one had ever predicted.

He had little memory of that first day, aside from the car being hit, because of the drugs he had been given, but he remembered everything of the following two days, spent strolling along to a taciturn NCIS agent with a weird haircut and beautiful blue eyes.

He remembered the pain he had felt when his companion had called him "freak", and the older man's heartfelt apology the following day. Most of all, Tony remembered the night his body had burned with an unknown, overwhelming need, and how Agent Gibbs had given him relief and, by doing so, had made him experience sensations he had never felt before. Tony also remembered waking up the following morning to the stunning realization of discovering something had changed inside him. He was matched! He was bonded! He was hyper-aware of his companion; of his match. He had never felt as happy and complete in his life. Until the moment the sound of someone throwing up and a terrible wave of anguish had invested him.

The fall from paradise had been quick. Tony had known at once there wouldn't be a happy ending for him and Agent Gibbs. He had felt at once that while the older man was ready to sacrifice his career to free Tony from his obligations toward Madeleine Fairchild, it didn't mean he wanted the younger man in his life as his Perfect Match. Gibbs was full of guilt and regret, and acting out of duty, not out of love. In a scant few minutes, Tony had understood that forcing the older man to deal with him now, would only cause resentment in the NCIS agent—and that was something he wanted to avoid at any cost. So he had convinced Gibbs to go on as intended, and they had parted ways later that evening.

Tony had been young back then, full of optimism, naïve, and truly convinced he could have a good life with Madeleine Fairchild. Maybe not the best, not the happiest, but good all the same… He had been wrong.

He had had no idea of how much being matched would have changed him deep inside, and what impact his Match's absence would have on his life.

Tony sighed, his eyes staring the calm ocean, as his mind continued to wander in the past.

The ten years he had Gibbs had spent separated had been as lonely and cold as the harbor was tonight. Ten years during which his first thought in the morning and his last thought before falling asleep had been for the man he loved, missed, and longed for.

When Madeleine had died, Tony had found himself suddenly unable to control his longing a moment more. So he had used her contacts to find Gibbs' home address and travelled to Alexandria. He had lost count of how many times he rehearsed his speech during the journey, but all of his carefully prepared words had left him when the door of the well-kept two story house had been opened by a red headed woman with a gleaming wedding band on her left ring finger. The woman, Gibbs' wife, had informed him her husband was serving as agent afloat on a carrier in the Mediterranean Sea and that he would be away for 5 more months.

Tony had just nodded at her words, feeling numb, broken hearted…empty. Gibbs was married, and it meant that once again there was no room for the young man in his heart. It meant Tony would never see his greatest dream become reality.

So he had then returned to New York and the Fairchild Estate, not knowing what to do with himself and his life. He knew he could continue to work there, but really, as much as he loved books, he was too much of an active guy to be a librarian for his whole life.

And also, for the first time in his existence, he was free to do what he wanted, without having to please anyone but himself. The fact he couldn't realize one of his dreams didn't mean he couldn't go after the other. He had always wanted to be a cop and now – also thanks to the money Madeleine had left him – he could become one.

Tony smiled as he shifted his weight against the car. The police academy had been a breeze for him. He had excelled in every class and had been snatched by the Homicide as soon as he graduated. He had done well there, and had been promoted to detective quickly. Everyone had been predicting a fantastic career for him, but then Tony had started feeling restless. So he had moved to Philadelphia. Things had been good there too…good, but not enough. There had been something missing, so he had moved again, this time to Baltimore.

By the time the restlessness had kicked in again, Tony had been aware of its cause. New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore: it didn't take a genius to see each move had taken him closer to DC—to Gibbs. His rational mind might have had accepted the older man would never be his, but his heart and instinct no. Gibbs was like a magnet for him, inexorably pulling Tony closer and closer.

And then one day, as Tony was starting to think he could move to the Metro PD, someone dropped a handful of NCIS recruiting brochures in the break room. The federal agency was looking for agents to be assigned in their HQ at the Navy Yard—the same office where Gibbs worked!

Tony had taken a whole of two minutes to make up him mind after finishing reading the brochure and then he had acted, his rational mind following the will of his heart. He had resigned from the Baltimore PD and applied to NCIS.

The rest, as they say, was history.

He had been accepted, attended a FLECT and had been assigned to a senior agent. And then the moment he had both waited for and feared had arrived…the evening he had gone to visit Gibbs to tell him he was going to work at NCIS and had asked if they could become friends.

He had gone to visit the man in private not just because he was anxious about Gibbs' reaction, but was also concerned about his own. It had been a good idea, because being in presence of his Match for the first time in ten years had been overwhelming. Just like that first morning after their bonding, his whole body had sung at the sight of the man he had longed for so long.

Gibbs hadn't changed much since the last time they had seen each other. His eyes had still been a beautiful blue, his hair dark grey and cut in a more appealing way, and his smile had been as dazzling as he remembered. His heart hadn't changed either: it was still full of pain, regrets, hurt and guilt. But it had also been a caring heart, and Gibbs had readily accepted to try and become friends.

Tony smiled again as he thought back at the months during which he and Jethro had taken the first steps in their relationship.

Being near his Match almost on daily bases had been intoxicating for Tony. He felt like a thirsty man finally allowed to soak and to drink of the purest, coolest water one could dream of. He had been enthralled with the older man and would have gladly spent hours just looking at him or hearing him talk—not that Jethro would ever talk for hours! In those months Tony had fully understood what being "head over heels" in love meant, and how his Match's presence truly completed him, in a way he had never thought possible. The affection Gibbs had bestowed on him had been wonderful and sincere and had made Tony hope for more…he had made him hope one day Jethro would accept and love him as more than friend.

However, he had always took care to control in order not to betray his desires, and to keep his hands and lips to himself. He had always been careful not to push too much or too soon, and he had blessed his nature, that had allowed him to know exactly what Jethro wanted, needed and could accept. Tony had slipped only twice, one just after Chris' death, the other a few months later, but nothing wrong had resulted from it. Gibbs hadn't been angry or had rebuffed him.

Little by little Tony had begun to feel a change in Jethro. Sincere liking, real care and friendship had replaced most – but not all – of the guilt the older man had felt in his regards. Some had remained, because Gibbs had been well aware he couldn't give Tony everything he needed.

Thus, in the hope to assuage a bit of that guilt—Tony didn't want his Match to feel guilty because he was hetero—he had started making up girlfriends. He had never told Jethro how hard had been to be with Madeleine Fairchild in a sexual way, so it had been easy to let Gibbs believe he was getting more than some on the evenings he didn't spent at the older man's place. _That_, of course, had led him to commit the idiocy of opening a SWAK letter…a mistake that could have cost him his life, but that had also been worth it, because it had pushed Jethro to declare himself, and to show Tony his friendly love had turned in something else...

Tony chuckled as his cheeks warmed at the memories of their first time together as real lovers. Then he shivered when a blast of wind hit him; it was still cold to be May and the sky threatened rain. It was best to return inside the car…spending the weekend nursing a cold wasn't among his plans.

The opened the door, got into the passenger seat near Ziva and rubbed his hands to warm them.

"This is so 'Usual Suspects'," he commented lightly, remembering the movie he had seen with Jethro the previous week.

"Tony, your dying words will be 'I've seen this film'," Ziva, their Mossad officer on loan, chided him.

"Gibbs even looks a little bit like Gabriel Byrne," he went on, ignoring her. _They both have wonderful blue eyes_,_ but Jethro is way hotter_...

"Okay. Who is Gabriel Byrne?" Ziva asked, unable to resist her curiosity.

"An actor who boards a mysterious ship like this one searching for Keyser Sose."

"Another actor?"

"No. Keyser Sose is a character in the film who may or may not exist. "

"I'm confused," Ziva commented, and she was not joking. Tony could feel her confusion, and he enjoyed it. He liked to keep her on her toes and unbalanced, lest she got too cocky because she could kill a man eighteen different ways with a paper clip.

"So am I. And I saw the DVD twice," McGee interjected from the back seat.

"'The Sound of Music' confuses you, Probie," Tony snorted.

"I love that movie!" Ziva exclaimed brightly, and opened her mouth, preparing to sing a probably out of tune line, but Tony was quicker and covered her mouth before a single sound could leave her throat.

"One note and I will lock you in a room and make you listen to 'It's a Small World' for twenty-four hours straight! Do we understand each other?"

"Mm-hmm," she replied with a nod.

"Good," Tony said. He relaxed back against his seat, and started telling her about the 'Usual Suspects' plot, but he didn't go beyond a couple of scenes when the flash and rumble of an explosion made him jump.

He quickly got out of the car and for a moment just stared in disbelief at the smoke and flames coming from a side of the _Bakir Kamir_'s deck. Then an urgent cry rose from his throat, "Boss!"

He started running toward the ship, barely aware of Ziva and McGee following him. He got on board in record speed. When he was on the deck, he helped the crew to contain the fire, all the while frantically scanning around with his eyes as he hoped to see Jethro's face.

When the fire was finally extinguished, he ordered McGee to secure the ship to avoid anyone fleeing the scene. Then, with heavy steps and a heart full of dread, made his way toward where the explosion had taken place.

The laundry room was filled with smoke. There were shreds of metal everywhere, on the floor and ebbed into the blackened walls. And it wasn't just metal...the air was filled with the sickening smell of burned flesh that meant someone had been a victim of the blast.

Tony struggled to refrain from vomiting as he thought he might be walking over Jethro's remains, and made his way inside, looking around. The room was mostly bare, but for a big washer and a dryer lined against the left wall and...What was it?

Tony quickly made his way toward the dark shape he spotted in a corner, partially hidden by the machines, and his heart jumped in his chest when he saw it was Gibbs. He bent near the huddled form, noting the closed eyes and burned skin and reached out with a shaking hand to check for a pulse. For a moment he panicked when he couldn't feel anything but then, after he adjusted his fingers over his lover's neck, he felt it. Jethro's was still alive, but his pulse was weak and erratic.

Tony turned around and shouted to Ziva, who was standing on the doorway, "He's alive! Get an ambulance here! Now!"

Then he returned to focus on the person he loved most in this world and murmured, "Hold on, Jethro, hold on. Help is coming...Just hold on."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews to hotshow and tinkerbellblu83. :)**

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><p>As soon as all the evidence collected from the <em>Bakir Kamir<em> was on its way to Abby's lab, along with Ziva, McGee, riding with Ducky and Palmer, Tony drove to the Portsmouth Hospital, wanting and needing to check on Gibbs' condition.

When he arrived, and was admitted into ICU, he saw Director Shepard was standing by Jethro's bed, with her back turned toward the door as she looked out of the window to the sunrise, and he felt a flash of disappointment. He had hoped he could have a moment alone with Jethro, so he could behave as the frightened lover he was and not just as a concerned co-worker, but it was not to be.

However, Tony didn't resent Jenny Shepard for being there; instead he was grateful Jethro had someone who cared for him nearby.

He had known right from the moment Jenny had taken over as Director that she and Gibbs had a past that had involved more than a working relationship. However, he had never felt threatened by it. He had felt no hint of desire on Jethro's part to rekindle the past affair and, after coming to know Shepard better, Tony had easily understood why. She had too much of an aggressive personality to fit with Gibbs', long term. She was the kind of woman who probably liked to be on top in bed; or who, after spending her day ruling over an agency made up mostly by men thinking any of them should be in her place, liked to have her partners to make her bend to their wishes and give up her control. Madeleine Fairchild, Tony's intended match, had been like that. She had wanted him to ravish her in bed and to make her know the balls she had to grown in her job had no use during sex. It had been so completely different from what Jethro had wanted that Tony sometimes wondered how the hell he had managed to pull it off for three years.

Jethro liked gentleness in bed. He liked to be on top, but without being aggressive, which someone might have found at odds with how domineering and unrelenting Gibbs' personality was. Tony instead thought it wasn't odd at all. To him it was like Jethro took his dominance to an extreme while in bed, expecting his lovers to give up control without him having to ask in any way. The young man guessed there weren't many women – especially among the fiery redheads Jethro liked so much – willing to let him have his way so completely. However, for him, it was a given. When he had bonded with Gibbs' the first time he had sex, Tony had become the perfect match for the older man's tastes, desires and needs. That was why it had been so hard for him to satisfy Madeleine in the bedroom, because it completely went against what Tony wanted or needed.

He snapped out of his reverie when Jenny turned around and, upon seeing him, gestured at him to enter into the room.

"Director," he said in greeting.

"Tony," she replied softly.

He moved closer to the bed and felt a lump constrict his throat when he saw how vulnerable Jethro looked. 'Vulnerable' and 'Gibbs' didn't belong to the same line, yet there was no other way to describe his lover now. He was pale beneath his burns, his head was bandaged and he had a nasty looking tube inside his mouth. Worst of all, he was so still...so absent, as if he wasn't really there, and it scared Tony. Jethro was always vibrating with his inner strength and vitality, even when he was asleep. But he wasn't asleep, he was in a coma, and with a strange expression on his face. One Tony knew but couldn't place—and it sent shivers running along his spine.

The young man wanted nothing more than bend down, kiss Jethro's cheek and tell him everything was okay, but he couldn't, not with the director standing so close.

In that moment the door opened to admit two doctors and a nurse. After a brief greeting, Tony and Jenny moved out of the way and watched intently as the doctors checked Jethro's chart and examined his eyes.

From their conversation, Tony understood the two men were puzzled by the fact Gibbs had not regained consciousness yet despite not having suffered any kind of brain damage and, in an attempt to lessen he his tension, he murmured, "Coffee."

"Coffee?" Jenny repeated with frown.

Tony smiled, "Sure way to wake Gibbs."

"Good idea," she replied, understanding his joke. "But, he's intubated. We'll have to use the IV."

When one of the doctors nodded to Jenny and walked away, Tony moved closer to the bed where the man he now knew was the hospital's Chief Neurologist who was still checking on Gibbs. There were so many questions he burned to ask, but he knew he would have to hold them to himself, less he betrayed his real feelings for his boss.

"DiNozzo, does he look in pain?" Jenny's question took him aback and Tony looked at his lover. He couldn't feel anything from him, but still there was strange expression on his face…

"I don't know," he answered. "I've never seen Gibbs show pain, Director." That wasn't true because he had seen Jethro show pain after Ari Haswari shot him, but it was something he preferred to keep to himself.

"Doctor, is he in pain? Doctor?" Jenny addressing the neurologist and Tony was touched by the concern he could sense in her. She really cared a lot for Gibbs.

"Was this man a Marine?" the doctor asked instead of answering Jenny's question, and it stirred Tony's interest.

"Yes," she answered, confused.

"Wounded in Desert Storm?" pressed the doctor.

"He has a Purple Heart," Jenny commented, as she turned to look at Tony with an interrogative expression, silently asking him if he knew more.

Tony nodded, "He once told me he was wounded in Kuwait." He didn't add the information had been given to him the night Tony had explored every inch of Jethro's naked body, asking him how he had got his various scars before kissing each of them.

"That's it!" the doctor exclaimed triumphant. "I treated him in Kuwait! He was in a coma when we evac'ed him to Frankfurt. Now you talk about déjà vu."

"But is he in pain?" Jenny pressed, echoing Tony's silent question.

"Certainly not extreme pain. He may be hurting, but the only way to know is for him to tell us."

"Why not give him painkillers just in case?" Tony suggested, not liking the idea his lover might be suffering.

"I want him to wake up," the doctor explained, "An opiate would only deepen his coma."

"I've just never seen Jethro look like this," Jenny commented, her tone full of worry.

"I have," the neurologist said. "That's why I remembered him. That's the expression he had in ninety-one. It's more anguish than pain."

That was it.

Tony wanted to head-slap himself for not realizing it sooner. The expression Jethro had on his face was the same one he had sported thirteen years before, the morning after they had sex together, when Tony had found him retching in the bathroom.

Tony remembered caressing that strong, bare back in soothing circles as waves of self-loathing, guilt and despair had washed over his new love. And then he remembered when Jethro had turned around to look at him...The expression was exactly the same as now. Anguished. Desperate. Crushed.

But what was causing Gibbs to feel like that now? What was going on in his mind? Was he dreaming?

Tony shivered as he hoped that whatever it was it would stop affecting Jethro when he woke up. He had already suffered enough in his life, and Kate's recent death was still weighting hard on him. He didn't deserve more pain. He deserved peace and Tony prayed he would get it, and his anguish would cease soon.

**XXX**

The next day and a half passed quickly enough for Tony. Despite the fact he was worried sick by Jethro's continued unconsciousness, and the fact he wanted nothing more but be at his lover's side, he was aware he had a job to do—and do it the best he could. In a way, he was grateful for the investigation he had to led, because it kept him busy and focused, making the waiting for news from the hospital a bit more bearable.

And then, two days after the explosion, Director Shepard came down to the squad room, just as Tony had solved the 'crisis' between Abby and Ziva and forced them to make peace.

"Gibbs has regained consciousness," Jenny announced without preambles, and Tony felt his heart light up like a Christmas tree. He was the happiest man alive, and mentally began to get organized for when Jethro would be sent home.

"Yay! That's great!" Abby exclaimed at his side, and he nodded to her, unable to contain his grin.

But his smile disappeared when he heard Jenny say, "However, there's also a problem. He has some memory loss."

"Retrogressive amnesia is totally normal after severe trauma," Abby commented with such conviction Tony relaxed again.

"Happens every time the boss smacks me on the back of the head," he joked.

"Well, you know, I had amnesia after my car crash," McGee interjected.

"Your bumper car get T-boned at Lego land, Probie?" Tony teased.

"No, Tony. I told you about when I totaled my Camaro when I was sixteen. That day is still a blank to me".

"Well, Gibbs' blank is the last fifteen years," Jenny explained. "To him, it's nineteen ninety one and he's a Marine Gunny Sergeant wounded in Desert Storm."

That put an end to all the jokes, as they tried to comprehend what it meant for Gibbs and for them.

Ziva was the first one to get her voice back, "He doesn't know he's an NCIS Special Agent?"

"I doubt it. He didn't recognize Ducky," Jenny added, betraying her own worry.

"Well, if he doesn't know who Ducky is, then there's no…" Abby's desolated voice trailed off, but Tony had no problem in completing her line.

"He'll never remember us." _Me. He won't remember me_.

And it wasn't just that. When they had talked about his wounds, Jethro had said that he had suffered his knee injury in Kuwait, a few hours after being told his wife and daughter had died. This meant now Tony had a pretty good idea of what had caused Gibbs' anguish while in a coma.

His next words, both to the team and then to Director Shepard were all business. He showed no hint of his emotions, but inside himself, Tony wept. For his lover, and for himself, for he didn't know how he would go on if Jethro ceased to be the most important part of his life.

He had barely existed during those ten years of separation and, back then, he had had no idea of what it meant to have Jethro love him back. But now he knew. He was terribly aware of how much he might have already lost...and he wasn't sure he would be able to survive without it.

.

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So, what will happen next?


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm in hurry today, so I've no time to reply to all the reviews. I'll just say THANK YOU to the reviewers for taking the time to leave a comment. I really appreciate that.**

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><p>It was already dark when Tony slipped inside Jethro's hospital room. It was two days after his lover had regained consciousness and, even if Captain Gelfand had yet to okay visits from the team, Tony hadn't be able to stay away a moment more.<p>

Not only he could no longer stand the anxiety of not knowing how Jethro really was or if he would remember him, but the investigation of Abog Galib's murder had reached a dead end. They now knew the guy Gibbs' had believed to be Galib was instead Pinpin Pula, an Abu Sayyaf terrorist, and that this guy had then used the dead agent's documents to infiltrate the Sealift Command. However, they had no idea of what he was planning or where he was, since none of the ships they had alerted had him on board.

But Gibbs knew—he had to. Tony strongly suspected Pinpin Pula could have boasted his plan before he had told the NCIS agent there was a bomb ready to explode in the room. And they knew Gibbs had been aware of the bomb because he had the time to take cover behind the washing machine before it went off.

Tony walked closer to the bed and looked down at the sleeping man. Jethro looked better. The bandage was gone from his head, the burns on his face were healing, and he was no longer so pale, even if there were deep lines caused by stress and pain around his eyes. He also noticed his lover sported again that awful haircut he had back in 1993, only that now the hair was silver, and not dark as it used to be, which made the contrast between the shaved and un-shaved part of his head less evident and a bit more pleasing to the eye.

But still Tony thought Jethro was the most handsome man on Earth, not to mention the only one he would ever love. What would he do if Gibbs never regained his memory? Would he be able to stay in the side lines and be just a friend and a co-worker as Jethro worked through the pain of losing his wife and child another time? Would he be able to watch silently if Jethro ended up marrying another redhead woman that reminded him of Shannon?

The answer was simple and expected: of course he would. Jethro was his other half, and a bit of him would be better than nothing.

Tony was fairly sure that Jethro knew that, when they had gotten back together, Tony had never been with another man. They had never talked about it. It was just a look that the older man got in his eyes sometimes. Tony had never been able to look at another man after he bonded with Jethro and he had barely put up with a woman for the three years he lived with Madeleine Fairchild. All of his bragging about dates to McGee was just a front so that no one would know his true feelings. He would give up anything for the man he loved so much, but he really, really prayed he wouldn't need to this time.

Gathering his courage, Tony reached out and touched his lover's bare forearm. Fast as lighting Jethro moved, wrapping his fingers around the younger man's wrist as his eyes snapped open.

They stared at each other for long interminable moments, and then Gibbs asked, in a hesitating voice, "Tony? Is that you?"

Tony felt tears of happiness spring to his eyes as he nodded, "Yes Jethro, it's me, Tony. Do you remember me?"

Gibbs nodded, as his eyes roamed the younger man as if he couldn't have enough of looking at him. "I do. You...healed me. Made me love again...after Shannon and Kelly."

Tony nodded again, as he sent a thank you to the gods above. He clasped Jethro's hand in his own and added, "You have no idea how happy I am you remember me, Jethro. I was afraid you had forgotten me as you did the others. Heck, afraid isn't the right word. I was terrified I would lose you again."

Gibbs looked at him for a moment, then freed himself from Tony's hand, pushed away the covers and stood up. He pulled the younger man in his arms and embraced him, with such a desperate strength Tony realized that hug didn't mean to be comforting just for him, but for Jethro's too. So he raised his own arms and hugged his lover as hard as he could, trying to soothe some of the jumbled emotions he knew the older man was experiencing, confusion, frustration and pain being the strongest ones.

After a while, Gibbs pulled back and looked at Tony with narrowed eyes, "You are my senior agent?"

"Yep," Tony nodded, thrilled his lover was remembering more.

"Then you should be investigating, not standing here," Jethro reprimanded.

Tony bit his lower lip as he decided what to say. "The investigation reached a dead end. We are missing some crucial information..."

"And you think I might have it," Gibbs guessed.

Tony nodded. "Yes, I think you have it."

"When Jenny showed me a photo yesterday...I knew I had seen that man. I knew the name she told me wasn't the right one, even if I couldn't remember it..." Gibbs murmured, thoughtful. Then his jaws set in determination. "Take me to NCIS. Tell me what happened and show me what you have. Maybe it will trigger my memory."

Tony hesitated. "Uhm...Jethro, I don't think you should leave the hospital in this condition..."

Jethro glared at him. "Jenny told me this is very important, a matter of life and death. I can't stay here doing nothing. Find me some clothes and I will sign myself out."

Tony grinned, as he saw the old fire return to burn in his lover's eyes. He was still concerned about his health, but he knew nothing would make Gibbs change his mind. So, promising to himself to keep a close eye on the older man, he nodded and exclaimed, "On it, Boss!" before he left the room in search of something Gibbs could wear.

**X**

Three hours later, Tony found himself regretting not having insisted Jethro stayed at the hospital. If he had, maybe his lover would have been spared what had happened in MTAC.

He would have been spared getting head to head with a dumb-ass politician who was more concerned about bad publicity than doing what was necessary to avoid deaths, and couldn't have cared less about what Gibbs had struggled so hard to remember.

He would have been spared seeing his warnings ignored and the Cape Fear blown up, taking the lives of her crew and those of the SEAL squad sent to approach it.

Had Jethro stayed at the hospital, Tony wouldn't have had to been witness to the shocking scene of Gibbs jogging down the stairs after a private talk with Jenny Shepard with a hard expression on his face and leave NCIS, after resigning and leaving the team to Tony with a heartfelt, "I know you'll take good care of them".

He wouldn't be here now, staring speechless toward the elevator, Jethro's "Semper Fi" still echoing in his ears and in the unnaturally silent squad room.

He wouldn't be here holding his lover's badge and gun in his hands and wondering how the hell everything could have gone so wrong, so quickly.

"He cannot leave," Tony heard Abby murmur at side. "He cannot really mean it..." He turned around and saw her tear filled eyes and the shocked expressions on both Tim and Ziva's faces. He looked down at the gun and badge and then up to the stairs, where Jenny was standing, pale and still as all of them.

"Let me go and talk with him, Director," Tony asked firmly.

"I'm not sure of how much it will help," she answered looking down at him. "He made up his mind...but go, Tony, and keep me informed."

"Yes, Tony," Abby urged him, touching his arm, "Go."

"Okay."

Tony ran toward the elevator, carrying Jethro's gun and badge with him, hoping his boss would agree to take them back.

.

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So Gibbs remembers Tony, but will Tony able to make him reason?


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm quite late today, but this chapter should make up for it! *wink***

**Thanks so very much for all the reviews...and happy reading!**

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><p>When he arrived at the Alexandria house Tony had come to think as home even if he didn't live there, he saw the light in Jethro's bedroom was on, so he jogged straight upstairs. He was afraid of what he would see once there, and he was right.<p>

The sight of his lover pushing clothes inside a duffle bag was like a punch in his stomach, but he tried to hold on his calm. He needed to keep a cool head, since he doubted Jethro was thinking straight at the moment.

The older man raised his eyes from his packing and asked, "Shouldn't you be with your team?"

"The Director isn't going to accept your resignation."

"The hell she isn't!" Gibbs exclaimed angrily. "I've enough years put in to retire."

"Of course you can retire, but the point is I won't let you do it," Tony replied firmly.

"Why the hell not?" Jethro growled, dropping the clothes on the bed as he stared at Tony with his fists balled.

"Because I know you, and I know you'll regret your decision as soon as you calm down." Tony said calmly, walking closer to his angry lover. "I also know that when it happens, you will prevent yourself from giving in to your desire to go back, because doing it would be like admitting you were wrong—and you are never wrong. I know all of this—and I don't want you to go through it."

Jethro looked at him in silence for a few minutes and then he let go of his belligerent attitude. "Tony..." he began softly. "You saw what happened. How can I keep working for a government that allowed so many deaths just to avoid bad publicity?"

"It wasn't the government that caused those deaths, but Deputy Director Welsh. Not everyone is like him. Think about all the good people you met as a Marine and as a NCIS agent. Think of Tom Morrow or Colonel Bushnell, who preferred to resign his commission rather than protect a criminal as he had been ordered to."

"I-I don't remember them," Gibbs said softly, his eyes full of confusion.

Tony bit his lower lip as he nodded slowly. "And that's another reason you cannot resign. You're not in the condition to make such an important decision."

Jethro dropped to sit on the bed and took his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do..." he whispered, as desolate as Tony as had never felt him to be.

The younger man sat down too and put an arm around the older man's back, pulling him against his side, just like Jethro had done with him numerous times.

"Why don't you take a sick leave to give yourself the time to recover from this trauma?" Tony suggested. "You aren't well, Jethro and you know it. You are in shock, and confused by all you forgot and were made remember in just two days. You probably shouldn't even be out of the hospital, but I know you won't agree to get back, so I won't ask. However you must give yourself the time to heal, and recover your memory. Afterward, if you feel you still want to leave NCIS, then I'll support your decision."

"It's a good plan...but I still need to leave here, Tony. If I stay, Abby or Jenny or Ducky will come and try to influence me..."

"I know, and I agree. You need to go to some place you can be just yourself, Jethro, not Agent Gibbs or Boss. Where were you planning to go?" Tony asked, tilting his head toward the duffle bag. "Somewhere warm, I guess by your choice of clothes."

"My boss...My former boss, Mike Franks, has a place near Baja, in Mexico. I was planning to go there."

"Then go, Jethro," Tony nodded. "It sounds like a good place to recharge your batteries. I only ask you leave me a number where I can contact you...I promise I won't try to influence you in any way."

Gibbs raised his head from his lover's shoulder and looked straight at his eyes, "Of course you would never do it." He bent forward and kissed Tony on the lips. "Thank you. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you. I'm so lucky to have you by my side."

Tony smiled, moved by Gibbs' declaration. "As lucky as I am to have you."

"Ya sure?" Jethro asked, as his eyes took a very serious look. "I often think you got the worst deal between us. I'm aware I'm not an easy guy to live with, and you didn't get to chose to be with me. It was forced on you."

"Yeah, I didn't get to chose—the hormones I was pumped with prevented me from it. But I've always liked you, even before the bond. I felt what there was in your heart, and I knew you were a good man. And it's not just that...I never regretted bonding with you, not even during those long years we were separated. I wouldn't regret it even if we never got together and you know why?" Tony asked, his whole body shaking with emotion and he watched as Jethro shook his head.

"Because you always treated me as a normal person. You have never tried, as most people do when in presence of a Perfect Match to hide or mask your emotions. You have never tried to use the hold you have on me to make me do what you want. Sure, I want to please you, but you never exploited it as Mrs. O'Neill and her husband did. Back then I didn't realize how well they played me, but it is so clear now. Most important of all, you have always treated me as a peer, as your equal, and not like an exotic pet that needs to be pampered and indulged and kept under control lest he hurts himself, as Madeleine Fairchild did. I wasn't in Aspen when she broke her neck because she thought skiing was too dangerous for me. I was given the job of curator of her family's book collection because she was afraid I would get in trouble if I ventured out of her mansion to look for a job. She left me money in her will because she was afraid I couldn't take care of myself 'all alone in the big, bad world', and set up a trust for me, so no one 'could take advantage of my nature'. When I heard that, my first reaction was to tell her lawyer exactly where he could shove that money, but then I thought I had earned it for what I had to bear. So I accepted it and used it to finally build myself a life worth living."

"You didn't tell me this when we talked of her before," Jethro murmured, clearly shocked by what he had heard.

"I couldn't tell you, Jethro. You would have felt even guiltier than you already did, and making you feel responsible just before I asked you if we could try and become friends would have been too much alike to what people had been doing to me. I didn't want to force your hand. Later...well, there was no reason to talk about her. I just told you because, as far as I'm concerned, I got the best deal between us," Tony completed with a smile, feeling gratified when Jethro grinned back.

"We both got the best deal, then," the older man said, before he pulled Tony closer for another kiss.

Tony responded by opening his mouth to the seeking tongue probing against his lips, and the kiss got harder, deeper. Tony could feel Jethro's arousal stir and he welcomed it. True, having sex had been the farthest idea in his mind while he had rushed home hoping to stop his lover from committing a terrible mistake, but now that the matter had been solved, Tony felt his passion escalate with every passing second.

He wanted, no needed to be close to his lover, and banish once and for all the fear that had plagued him during the past days, when he hadn't known if Jethro would remember him and what they shared.

Without saying a single word, Tony stood up and disrobed, as Jethro's looked at him with hungry eyes. Then he returned to kneel on the bed, as the older man's hand rose slowly to caress his chest.

Tony pushed it away and murmured, "Let me do everything for you." And before Gibbs was able to reply, he started pulling up the hem of his blue hospital shirt. "Raise your arms," Tony commanded gently and his lover obeyed without hesitation, helping him to get rid of the shirt and then his pants.

Once they were both naked, they both scooted up along the bed, ignoring the clothes scattered there, until they reached the pillows and Tony encouraged Gibbs to lie down. He looked down at blue eyes that were no longer deep pools of misery, but were starting to burn with his inner fire, and whispered, "Let me take care of you."

Jethro' lips curved in a lopsided grin, "It depends on what you plan to do to me…"

"Nothing you won't like, I promise," Tony teased, then bent down and kissed the tip of Jethro' nose, but not the mouth he had hopefully offered. The younger man felt a thrill course along his spine at his lover's acceptance. While Tony had never been passive in bed, and had given as much kisses and caresses as he got, this was actually the first time he had taken the lead.

"Not yet, not yet…" he teased and Gibbs let out a groan of playful frustration, which turned into a moan when Tony lowered his head and bit him in the spot where his neck joined his shoulder.

Jethro' cock swelled and hardened under his hungry stare and he too moaned with pleasure, as his own shaft twitched in response.

Then Tony continued his assault on his lover's body. First his neck, which was thoroughly kissed and licked, as he savored the delicious saltiness of his skin. Then his broad chest, which was caressed, kissed and nipped, his chest hair smoothed and combed. Tony pushed away Jethro's hand when he dedicated himself to the older man's hard, small nipples because Jethro had tried to return the sensation he loved so much. The younger man stopped his ministrations and frowned at down the older man.

"I told you to let me take care of you..." he admonished, although he was ready to bend to his lover's wishes if the older man really wanted it.

Jethro groaned aloud but obeyed, spreading his arms wide on the mattress, his fists now clenching the sheet. Tony rewarded him by tracing large, lazy circles with his fingertips over the silky skin of his pectorals, which became narrower and narrower as they approached his nipples that were then lightly pinched. Gibbs moaned aloud and his back arched as he offered himself to Tony.

"Again…" the older man breathed and Tony was more than happy to repeat his actions, aroused by how his lover was allowing himself to be at his complete mercy. Jethro's lean, hot body was covered by a thin sheen of sweat, his muscles languidly flexing and relaxing in response to his touches. His head was thrown back against the pillow; his mouth was open in pleasure. He was gorgeous beyond description and Tony had to struggle with himself. A part of him wanted to end the foreplay, and get down to business, because his cock was so hard it was painful.

Another part, instead, wanted to linger, to stretch out that moment, for it was the first time he had seen Jethro so open, so trusting, so completely and totally abandoned to his care.

Tony took several deep breaths to calm his excitement, and then he resumed his activities. He slid his palms along Jethro's sides, following the curve of his ribs, down to his abdomen and to his lower belly, where his lover's hair was ticker. Tony's fingers combed the soft, still dark curls, then he tugged at them, that little bit he knew Jethro's would find pleasurable. Gibbs' hips arched up as his still neglected cock became even harder, a clear drop of fluid appearing on its tip, and rolling down the shaft. Tony caught it with his index finger and brought it to his lips, tasting it with a wantonness he did not believe he possessed.

That was obviously the final straw for Jethro. Before Tony could understand what happened, his lover surged up, embraced him and then they both fell back on the mattress. Gibbs rolled on top of Tony, and began to rock his hips, sliding his hard erection along the younger man's.

Jethro took his lips in a long, passionate, soul searching kiss. "You taste so good…" he said freeing Tony's mouth and burying his nose into his neck, "You smell so good… So warm… so mine…"

"Yes Jethro, yours, always yours…" Tony answered, as he caressed the older man's back with his hands, "Always only yours, never another after… You know that right?"

"I always suspected, but now that I know for sure I feel so honored, and I want you so much more," Jethro kissed Tony again, then proceed to touch and caress him everywhere, his hands gentle yet possessive as he rediscovered his lover's body. And when Gibbs had his fill with his hands, he tasted and loved Tony with his mouth, nibbling and suckling all the spots that made the younger man moan aloud.

Their passion mounted, and Jethro slid off Tony as he tilted his head. "On your side," he commanded with a breathy voice and the younger man didn't lose a moment obeying. He rolled on his left side, and Jethro spooned against him, sliding his hard shaft between Tony's tightly pressed legs. In this blazing passion they had no time for stretching or condoms.

Tony pushed back and moaned, enjoying the feeling of his lover's cock nudging against his balls. Then a calloused, skilled hand wrapped around his erection and started stroking him in time with Jethro's thrusts. Tony threw back his head, baring his neck to his lover lips, and balancing himself with an arm wrapped around the older man's lower back he began to move in counterpoint to Jethro's thrusting.

It didn't take long for them to reach their breaking point. Gibbs stiffened and came with a long, low groan, spurting hot liquid against the younger man's balls. Tony followed him a few seconds later, after one more thrust into Jethro's fist had him grunting and tense, as hot pleasure rushed through his cock.

When Tony recovered his wits, he became aware of how heavy Jethro was against his back. He turned his head to give a look at his lover and smiled when he saw the older man was sound asleep, which wasn't surprising given his recent trauma and the stress caused by what had happened in MTAC.

Tony gently detangled from Jethro's sleepy embrace and stood up. He went to the bathroom to clean up, then walked back to the bed and rubbed his lover down with a wet towel. When he was done, he covered Jethro with the coverlet and put on his boxers. He had a call to make and he didn't feel like talking to the NCIS Director while naked.

Jenny picked up after just one ring, a sign she had been probably waiting not too patiently for the call and asked, "So?"

"Put him on sick leave, Director. He's gonna take a long vacation after which, I'm ready to bet, he will be back, more determined and abrasive than ever."

"Good job, Tony," Jenny answered, her relief palpable, "I'll let Abby and the others know."

The call ended, Tony put away the phone, got rid of his boxers, switched off the lights and slipped beneath the covers. He scooted until he was close to Jethro and put an arm around the older man's hip. Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath filled with the comforting scent of his lover and fell asleep with a small, content smile on his face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. I'm so happy you enjoyed their loving "interlude" and liked the twist I gave to the "Hiatus" plot. **

**"Hiatus" is my favourite episode, and I've always been disappointed by the fact that in all the stories based on it I've read, Gibbs is treated badly for leaving the team. Now, while I agree his decision was rather rushed, I also understand why he did it. He was in shock, hurt, confused, disenchanted, disgusted... Yet, in all the stories I read, none of the characters (Abby, Tony ect.) tried to understand Gibbs' motives. They never tried to put themselves in his shoes and tried to understand why Gibbs did what he did. They just accused Gibbs to leave them and yadda, yadda, yadda.**

**Perhaps things would be different if Gibbs' return had been handled a bit better, especially as far as Tony was concerned. It would have been nice to see a little conversation between Gibbs and Tony or between Jenny and Tony before Gibbs' took back his position as team leader, but TPTB chose differently.**

**So, thanks to the premise of this AU, I twisted things to make them a bit better.**

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><p>Tony raised his eyes from the keyboard as he thought of how to put in words what had happened that morning, when a suspect they had been chasing had run over a Rear Admiral and sent him to an unscheduled dive in the Norfolk base harbor.<p>

His eyes paused on Jethro's desk and he smiled. He didn't like to see it empty, but now, at least, he knew for sure it wasn't gonna be forever. During their latest phone call, his lover and boss had informed him he planned to return to work the following month. When he had heard it, Tony had done a happy dance around his apartment. Jethro had been in Mexico for about three months, and Tony had missed him like crazy, despite their daily phone calls.

Thinking back to those conversations, Tony realized they had sort of recorded the progresses Gibbs had made along those months. At first they had been brief. They had only inquired about each other's health and exchanged some sappy non-sense, something they would both adamantly deny if someone confronted them with it. Then, gradually, Jethro had started showing more interest about what was going on in DC. He had begun asking about how the team was performing, about Abby and Ducky, and about Jenny too. By the end of the second month of Gibbs' Mexican sojourn, they had started talking about Tony's cases, bouncing back and forth ideas and theories as they used to do during the early months of their friendship, before they got together and Tony joined the MCRT. It was familiar and nice, and it helped to ease the younger man's loneliness, since there was no way for him to join Jethro in Mexico, not even for a brief vacation.

Tony's phone rang recalling him to the present and he picked up the receiver, "DiNozzo."

"_Agent DiNozzo, Director Shepard wishes to see you as soon as you can," _Cynthia, the director's assistant, told him.

"On my way," he replied, already standing up.

Jenny was sitting behind her desk with her reading glasses on when Tony was admitted in her office.

"Director," he said, as he closed the door.

"Tony," she greeted him with a smile. "Come, sit down. There is something I wish to discuss with you."

He sat down in front of her, inwardly wondering why she was so excited.

Jenny folded her hands over her desk and said, "I've been reviewing your performance as acting team leader during these past months, and you have done a wonderful job. I think it won't be much longer before you'll be ready to lead your own team."

"Thank you, Director," Tony replied with a nod, although the idea of having his own team wasn't as appealing for him as she obviously thought.

"I also went over your service records, and I noticed you worked undercover a few times, both in the Baltimore PD and here at NCIS, always with excellent results."

He grinned. "I like that kind of jobs. I like to blend in other environments, or become someone else for a while. I find it easy."

"Well, I guess your special nature plays a big part in your success," Jenny added nonchalantly.

Tony frowned, "What special nature?"

"I'm aware you are a Perfect Match, Tony," she answered kindly.

"How? It's not listed in my service records."

"Indeed, but as an armed federal agency director I've access to other kinds of records, and when I inserted your name to retrieve your files before you joined NCIS, I also discovered your name was listed in the Perfect Matches' database. But, don't worry, I won't spread the news."

"I appreciate it, Ma'am. People don't like to know the guy they are working with is like a living polygraph. Well, I'm not that accurate. I can't say when someone is lying, but I can sense when someone is faking an emotion they aren't feeling, and that's enough to make them uneasy in my presence."

"I understand," Jenny said with a sympathetic smile. "Let's return to why I asked to see you. I would like to send you on an undercover, long term assignment."

"What is it about?"

"There is an international arms dealer I've been trying to bring down for a while. His code name is La Grenouille, and so far he has always been a step ahead of me. However, I've recently discovered he has a daughter living here in DC. Your job would be to get close to her and get information about her father. Here, this is her photo. Her name is Jeanne Benoit."

Tony briefly glanced at the shot of beautiful young woman the director passed him and asked, "How close would I need to get to her?"

"Well, since she is a doctor, and we can't make you pass as one, you would need to connect her on a personal way," Jenny commented, leaning back against her chair.

"You want me to pursue her in a romantic way?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Then, Ma'am, I must decline this mission. I can't do this," Tony replied with a soft but firm tone, pushing back the photo.

"Why not?" Jenny asked, clearly surprised.

"Because I'm bonded, and I could never even fake being intimate or interested with another person."

The director frowned and looked down at the open dossier on her desk. "I did some research before I summoned you, and I know your match, Madeleine Fairchild, died ten years ago, so you are no longer bonded."

Tony's eyes narrowed. He didn't like she had dug so deep in his private life. "Madeleine Fairchild was my government-chosen match, but something happened before I got to her, and I ended up bonding with another person who, thank God, is still very much alive. And before you ask, yes, I spent three years with Madeleine Fairchild even if she wasn't my match, and I hated it so, no, I cannot do it again. Many things have changed since 1993, the most important being the fact my Match loves me back. So Ma'am, I'll be more than willing to help you to catch La Grenouille in other ways, but you'll need to find someone else to get close to Jeanne Benoit."

"I see," she replied, and it was like a chilly wind had just swept over them.

"May I go now, Director? I've a report to write."

"Yes, Agent DiNozzo, you can go," Jenny replied, without bothering to cover how unhappy and irritated she was with him.

However, as he walked to the door, Tony couldn't help but smile. He was ready to bet the promotion she had hung in front of his eyes as a carrot was no longer on the plate… and that suited him more than fine.

**XXX**

The evening before Jethro's return, Tony went to his lover's house to make sure everything was okay and to drop some groceries in the empty fridge. However, when he opened the door, he saw light coming from the kitchen.

Who was there? Abby? Had she gotten his same idea? Or it was a burglar?

"Abby?" he called out as he moved closer.

"I don't think I could ever pass as Abbs, not even with a pig tail wig," an amused voice replied and Tony all but dropped his bags in surprise.

Jethro was standing in the kitchen doorway. He wore a white shirt, faded jeans and sandals. His face was covered by a wild beard and his hair was shaggy. He was also tanned, fit and a real sight for sore eyes.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? I was expecting you tomorrow morning," Tony said, walking closer and putting the bags on the dinner table.

"I guessed tomorrow Abby would come to visit, possibly others too, and I wanted to have some time alone with you before that."

"I thought you caught an earlier flight 'cause you wanted to go to the barber before going back at work on Monday," Tony joked, even as his heart flip-flopped at the love pouring from the older man. "You can hardly go to the office looking like a pirate."

Gibbs ran a hand on his hair, messing it up even more, "Does it look _that_ bad?"

"Nope…you look wonderful." Tony moved forward, as Jethro did the same, and soon they were in each other's arms, both pulling at the other to get as close as possible. Then they pulled back a bit, but only to get together again, this time kissing. The younger man found the sensation of Jethro's beard rubbing against his skin strange, but he was happy to discover it was soft and not bristle.

They kissed for a long time, mouths relearning each other's taste, as their hands caressed strong backs and grabbed taut buttocks.

When they finally separated, Tony pulled back to look at his lover and murmured, "God, Jethro, I missed you so much."

"Missed you," the older man replied, his hands resting on Tony's hips, "but it was the right thing to do. I needed this time away to regroup."

"I know. How is your memory?"

"I think everything important is back in place, and the rest will come in due time."

"Good," Tony commented, bending his head to kiss his lover again, as his right thumb caressed the bearded cheek.

"How things are here?" Jethro asked when he could talk again. "Is there something I need to know?"

"Uhm…well, look out for Ducky. He has started to refer to you as 'Gibbs', not 'Jethro', so I guess he is holding a grudge against you, although I'm not sure about what. Abby, Ziva and Tim will be happy to see you again, so get ready for a welcome back party in the lab. As for Madam Director…"

"Yes?" Gibbs prodded when Tony's voice trailed off.

"Well, let's say right now she isn't very happy with me."

Jethro frowned, "Why not?"

"Because I refused an undercover assignment. She wanted me to romance a girl to get info about her arms dealer father, and it turned out she knows about me being a Perfect Match. It was the reason she wanted me for the job. When I said no, Jenny wanted to know why, so I told her I'm bonded and that the mere idea of being intimate in any way with someone else is repugnant to me."

"How does she know about you?"

"She said she had access to the Perfect Matches' database. She knew my supposed match was Madeleine Fairchild, but now she is also aware I bonded with someone else who is still alive."

"Are you concerned she will dig more to discover who you are bonded to?" Jethro asked, his hands moving over Tony's back in soothing circles.

"Maybe… To tell the truth, I'm more concerned about her interest in that arms dealer. I did some research about the girl she wanted me to get close to. Nothing in Jeanne Benoit's life style, bank account and habits, points at her as being part of her father's business. She spends most of her time working at the hospital or studying for her specialization," Tony explained.

"So you think Jenny should concentrate on other leads to catch this arms dealer… or are you saying she is so fixated on this guy her judgment is impaired by it?" Gibbs pressed, as his body tensed slightly.

"Both of them, I guess. She is very determined, but it's hard to say if she wants to keep Jeanne Benoit under check because she is covering every lead, or if it because she has lost her sense of proportions."

"Okay," Gibbs nodded. "I'll keep a close eye on her."

Tony nodded back, as he thought this was too much of a serious conversation to have as they were embracing, with their cocks half hard. "As long as you don't look at her too closely and give her some strange idea," he teased, wanting to dispel the tension.

Jethro snorted and lightly slapped his ass. "Let's not talk any more about her," he murmured, taking Tony's hand and tugging at it as he took a step toward the stairs. "Let's talk about us."

"_Talk_ about us?" Tony joked, as he followed his lover. "You want to _talk_? Now?"

Jethro turned to look at him, his eyes dark as his want and need washed over Tony and growled, "You catch my drift…"

"Oh yeah," Tony answered, as they climbed up the stairs, "I do…I do indeed…" And those there the last coherent words either of them would say for a very long time.

The End

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Well, this is done. I hope you enjoyed the story. I've another one set in this AU titled "Forever Perfect". It is set after "Judgment Day" and will deal with the first part of Season 6. Stay tuned for it!


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